What a fashion buyer hopes to see at Australian Fashion Week

“I’m intrigued by brands that are shaking up the market.”

Australian Fashion Week is a busy, brilliant, beautiful and chaotic time for everyone involved. During a long preparation period, designers and their teams work until the wee hours of the morning, with dwindling sleep and virtually no downtime. PR teams can barely keep up with their inboxes; journalists’ minds melt between research, preparation and planning; and influencers urgently finalize every outfit, show, and accompanying post with far more moving parts than you’d probably expect.

What does Australian Fashion Week (AFW) look like for a fashion buyer responsible for curating what you see in stores? It’s not as easy as attending shows.

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Before a buyer finalizes what they want to put together for their audience to shop, they will consider consumer data, sales data, trend analysis and forecasting, strategic direction, brand alignment, and overall brand vision. Catwalks move quickly, and off-runway showings (where buyers browse collections in a different location) often require a quick in-and-out approach to fit a busy schedule. All in all, there isn’t much time to put all the pieces together.

It is therefore understandable that fashion buyers often arrive at AFW with a clear idea of ​​what they are looking for. Lisa Bean is no different. As a Senior Designer Buyer at The Iconic, she is responsible for curating the exact styles you can view and shop in The Iconic’s Designer Edition, meaning a big part of the platform’s success relies on her eye and intuition . As the official media partner of this year’s Australian Fashion Week, we asked Lisa what she hopes to see from designers in 2024.

Hi Lisa! Tell us something about you.

I’m the Senior Designer Buyer at The Iconic, which means my team and I are responsible for curating the collections of your favorite Australian and international designer brands. I work on forward strategies and opportunities that will drive the department to success, from brand acquisition, to negotiations and aligning business plans with our partners, to hand-selecting styles for our customers to shop.

What does a typical fashion week look like for you?

It’s arguably one of the busiest weeks on the fashion calendar here in Australia. I will be in and out of fashion shows scheduled at AFW, and I will work on commentary and content for our social team in support of The Iconic’s AFW coverage. We also have many exciting partnerships and collaborations in the works this year, which will keep me busy between refueling coffees.

Outside AFW it is ‘business as usual’. Brands will also be showing their Resort ranges from the catwalk, so I will be attending brand meetings, screenings and sign-offs to capture our strategy and vision for the fourth quarter.

Tell us about the shows and screenings you are attending this year. Who would you like to see?

There is a lot of buzz around the PE Nation show. They’ve finished their run at Melbourne Fashion Week, so I’m looking forward to seeing how they can continue to innovate and inspire. Acler is also in a really exciting space at the moment, with some incredible range and brand developments, so it will be great to see how they perform at this year’s show.

Michael Lo Sordo’s show takes place off-site and will no doubt be all over your feed. He always delivers, with striking occasionwear and an impressive line-up of talent.

What do you hope to see from Australian designers this year?

The Resort collections that appear on the catwalk are essential for a successful season at The Iconic. These collections drop during peak summer, so it’s always exciting to see how brands will push the boundaries for these collections. I am looking for the evolution of current trends and how we can interpret this for our customers for the coming seasons.

With the rise of boho, I hope to see soft silhouettes with sheer or opaque panels. We’ve also seen bubble hems start to make a comeback in dresses and skirts starting in the 90s. I hope this will also spark creativity and progress in styling trousers, skirts and shorts as we continue to see a shift away from dresses.

What makes a designer unique to you?

I look for brands that can hold their own. In a demonstrably saturated market, a strong brand identity is essential for success. We have such a broad but loyal customer base at The Iconic, so I’m always looking for brands that stand out and complement our range locally.

Uniqueness is hugely underestimated. The retail landscape is highly competitive and for most of our designer brands we are seeing success in new-to-market styles. It is important that trends are executed well with a well-considered pricing architecture. Value and quality come first for our customers.

What should consumers pay attention to when buying fashion?

In a culture of micro trends with an economic landscape that can feel a bit overwhelming, versatility and timelessness are very important. I invest in quality pieces that still provide a seasonal update, such as a beautiful leather ballerina or wool wide-leg trousers that will last me for years to come. You can be inspired by TikTok’s seemingly endless micro-trends, but don’t lose your own sense of personal style among the feeds.

Who are some of your favorite Australian designers at the moment?

I’m intrigued by brands that are shaking up the market, whether that’s through styling, marketing or the overall brand DNA. Alemais came to market in 2020 and has produced absolute magic in print direction and storytelling. On the other end of the spectrum, Harris Tapper’s elegant minimalism seems to have the back of every fashion influencer in my feed. The brand’s casual elegance and high-quality tailoring are the basis for a capsule wardrobe. Camilla and Marc are of course always favorites to watch. They are leading the Australian designer market and continue to produce directional and timeless pieces that the fashion set can’t get enough of.